BS Questions
Another way to practice BS is to think about the following questions, then check the BS chart to confirm your answers.
When would you double with a beginning total of 9?
When would you split 9s?
When would you double on a T? Against every up-card?
When would you surrender your 16?
When would you double-down with an A,7?
When would you hit your 12?
When would you hit your A,7?
When would you surrender a 15?
When would you double on a two-card 11?
When would you split a pair of 8s?
When would you take insurance if offered?
When would you double-down on an A,6?
When would you stand with A,7?
When would you split 7s?
When would you hit a soft 17?
When would you stand with a three-card soft 18?
When would you split Aces?
When would you double-down with an A,3?
When would you split 6s?
When would you hit an A,5?
When would you hit a three-card soft 18?
When would you double with an A,8 or A,9?
When would you split a pair of 2s?
When would you hit a 14?
When would you double an A,2?
When would you split 4s?
When would you hit an A,4?
When would you double 3s?
When would you stand with A,7?
After a number of winning sessions, perhaps by just playing an appropriate game on your computer, you should be ready to enjoy a few hands with members of your family or friends. When you do, try to adopt a somewhat taciturn demeanor to prepare yourself for actual casino conditions. Exercise restraint, if possible. There is no need to explain everything you know about the game, since your friends or family will probably be more interested in playing for the sheer fun of it. Resist the temptation to “instruct”; unasked-for advice is seldom appreciated and usually detracts from the overall enjoyment of any game. Use poker chips or Monopoly money to keep track of individual winnings. Do not, however, expect to win at every session. Blackjack is often a roller-coaster ride, upon which anything can happen and usually does. Unlike a real roller-coaster ride, though, proper BS and other advice offered throughout this blog is enough to insure that you end up at a definitely higher point than where you started.
Only after you can play BS confidently, with 100% accuracy, and when you feel entirely comfortable with all aspects of the game, should you venture into an actual casino. Armed with the complete knowledge of proper BS play, you finally possess the power that all casino personnel genuinely fear, and rightly so: You now have the ability to beat them at their own game.
